Christmas Beyond Christmas Read online

  Copyright © 2020 by JP Sayle

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Book Cover © 2020 Design by Tina Løwén

  People in images are models and should not be connected to the characters in the book. Any resemblance is incidental.

  Editing by Lucas Cornelius

  Line Editing and Proofreading by HL Day

  Book Formatting by Tina Løwén

  References to real people, events, organisations, locations, or establishments are only intended to give a sense of authenticity and have been used fictitiously.

  The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademarks within this book.

  Films, music, and lyrics mentioned are the property of the copyright holders.

  Warning

  Some of the content of this book is sexually graphic, with the use of explicit language and adult situations involving two males. It is only intended for mature audiences.

  Title Page

  Copyright

  About This Book

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Epilogue

  Books by the Author

  About the Author

  Can a Christmas beyond Christmas give one man the person he’s dreamed about his whole adult life: his next door neighbor Will?

  Greg Byers is your typical nerdy geek. He wears glasses, is skinny, and on occasion, is a little pimply. He loves to stick his nose in a book and hide in the pages. But then one day, he makes a silly, drunken mistake and his life changes. What was once an easy life has become a life full of ups and downs as he attempts to navigate being a single parent.

  That is until Will returns.

  Will Green has spent the last seven years working in war-torn countries and has lost the ability to laugh. He returns to the one place he calls home, only to find that there may be more to laugh about than he could ever have imagined, as a little girl and her daddy recreate a Christmas beyond Christmas.

  Christmas Beyond Christmas is a small town gay romance where, sometimes, a next- door-neighbor can be more than just a friend.

  A big thank you to my Beta readers, Julie, Mandy, Tina, and to my American friends who stepped in to help a girl out, Maryjo, Helen, Lexi, Coline, Maurica your input was invaluable.

  As always to Tina the cover change really made this book extra special, thank you.

  Greg

  2007

  The pain in my legs increased as they were pushed unceremoniously into the locker, the jeering getting louder.

  “It’s too fucking funny man, how tiny you are,” Ray mocked.

  “Come on, get him in before anyone catches us,” Billy said, a hint of apprehension in his voice as he held onto my ankles while trying to use his free hand to push my head in the locker.

  The other three guys laughed as they finally managed to squish me into the small space meant for my books. The metal edges dug into my hips, my head hitting the back with a thud as the door was slammed shut and darkness descended. I blinked and tried to get a little more comfortable, not knowing how long I’d be in there.

  I’d long since passed the point of trying to fight, because what was the point? They’d still win. I’d still find myself in the locker, only with a lot more bruises.

  If you’d been paying attention instead of having your nose stuck in a book, you might have noticed Ray and his gang of dumbasses.

  My brother’s voice in my head overrode my thoughts and I sighed because he was right. I tended not to notice what was going on around me once I was lost in the pages of a book. They made a shitty school life better. In fact, they were the only thing that helped me survive the torment of being the smallest boy in school. It didn’t help that I had blond curls and blue eyes with long eyelashes that the girls always complained weren’t fair for a boy to have. And the boys just thought I looked gay. I’d discovered over the last year that they weren’t wrong, my body starting to take notice of… Will.

  Heat suffused my face and I squirmed in discomfort at the thought of the huge giant who was my older brother’s best friend. The guy was a mountain. He’d started to grow rapidly at the age of twelve and hadn’t stopped since. Now, at eighteen, he was the biggest guy in school, as broad as he was tall. No one messed with him. He was five years my senior and I worshipped him, not that he knew that.

  As if I’d conjured him up, a deep voice I’d have recognized anywhere shouted something outside the locker, the door wrenched open a second later. I blinked owlishly at him as the light blinded me.

  “Why is it that the minute I turn my back, you find yourself in trouble, Tiny?” His large hands took hold of me as he carefully lifted me out of the locker and placed me on the floor. His hands lingered on my waist as I found my footing.

  My neck craned backwards so I could look up at his face. There was a familiar glint of anger simmering in the sea-green eyes. “I’m a magnet that shitty people stick to, what can I say?” I muttered, doing my best to keep the heat creeping up my neck from climbing any higher as Will took it upon himself to dust me off.

  No matter how many times I told myself Will was just acting like one of my brothers, my heart didn’t listen as it leapt with joy at his actions.

  “If you took your head out of those damn books for a second, you might notice what’s going on around you,” he growled as he stood to his full height, towering over me.

  His brows drew together and I braced myself for the lecture that was coming my way.

  “I’ve told you before, you need to learn some self-defense. That way you can stop those dicks from hurting you. You have to stand up to the bullies. Neither me nor Neil will be here next semester to stop this shit from happening.”

  The genuine concern in his voice continued to play havoc with my heart as it swelled with teenage love and gratitude. It wasn’t the first time that either him or Neil, my brother, had offered to teach me some basic moves. The problem was, I was about as coordinated as a piece of cooked spaghetti, which moved in any direction but the one I wanted it to. I didn’t need to humiliate myself further by failing and having them witness it.

  His broad shoulders stiffened as he stared at me as if he could read my mind.

  “There’s no point, Will. Whatever you teach me won’t be enough to defend myself from Ray and his dick friends. Besides, they’ll only be here for another year and then they’ll be gone the same as you and Neil.” The sadness in my voice caused the furrows on his forehead to deepen.

  I forced a smile as I patted his bulging forearm. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

  His brows arched up in disbelief as he looked at the locker I’d been crammed into only minutes before. “Yeah Tiny, like that’s true.” He turned his head, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the nearly empty corridor. The remaining few girls that lingered in the halls at the end of the school day paid me no mind. Their gaze was for one person only—Will.
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  Why would you want them to look at you? You don’t even like girls.

  Most of the time, I was invisible to everyone. A nobody until the bullies decided to humiliate me.

  Will, on the other hand, was someone everyone noticed—boys and girls. It wasn’t just his size that drew their attention; it was his sheer magnetism. It was captivating in so many ways. Add in the fact he was a genuinely nice person, able to laugh at himself and he became irresistible.

  Whatever Will was thinking was masked as he turned back to me. “I’ll speak with your brother. I'm sure we can come up with a plan.”

  My stomach churned. “Plan for what?” I squeaked out, balling my hands into fists to stop myself from covering my mouth like a complete dork.

  “Don’t you worry that pretty little blond head,” he muttered distractedly, his hand touching that same blond head as he ran his fingers through my curls.

  He’s your brother’s best friend, nothing more. He’s straight and would never be interested in you.

  My shoulders slumped at the thought and I had to work hard to stop my lips from turning down at the corners.

  “Let’s go. I’ll walk you home to make sure you don’t get yourself into any more trouble. Your brothers would kick my ass if you did.” His fingers tugged once more at my hair before releasing it and strolling away, with me having to run to keep up with the length of his strides.

  See, he’s only helping you because of your brothers, not for any other reason.

  A boy could dream; there was no harm in that.

  Present Day

  Will

  As the cab drove off, I threw the huge duffle bag which held my life’s possessions onto the sidewalk taking a moment to breathe in the flower-scented air, the July sun shining on my back. My eyes drifted shut as the heat warmed my tired muscles. I stood taller as I worked out the kinks in my back, giving a low groan as it popped and cracked like popping candy.

  A few hours in the back of a helicopter had played havoc with my already sore body. Being six-foot-six had its advantages but fitting in small spaces wasn’t one of them. The rest of the time though, it was pretty cool. I’d adapted to my size as I’d grown into my size fifteen feet.

  It was others who had a problem with it. My eyes automatically drifted to the house next to my parents’ home as I opened them.

  A dry chuckle rumbled through my chest as memories surfaced, memories of my best friend’s brother Greg, also known as Tiny. He’d been what most would call the runt of the litter. The youngest out of four brothers, he’d always looked like someone had given the Byers the wrong baby on the maternity ward when they’d left.

  His bright gold hair and pretty bluebell-colored eyes hidden behind thick-rimmed eyeglasses had frequently caused amusement when I’d gone around for supper due to the fact that his brothers were all dark haired with brown eyes. Tiny took after his father, except for his height. At five foot two and weighing no more than a hundred pounds soaking wet, he’d been a frequent target for bullies. So much so, that Neil and I had spent a lot of our teenage years making sure the bullies were kept in line. The fuckers had loved to shut him in the hall lockers to prove he could fit into the tiny space.

  Greg having his head permanently stuck in a book and paying no attention to what was going on around him hadn’t helped, meaning it was all too easy for them to sneak up on him.

  It had driven both me and his brother to distraction.

  The muscles of my face transforming into a smile pulled me from the past. I touched my cheeks tentatively, trying to recall when the last time I’d had something to smile about had been. I swallowed a sigh as I saw movement in the garden, a golden head appearing at the other side of the fence.

  My hand dropped to my side and I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. My gaze narrowed on the tiny girl, her head tilting so far back that, for a second, I wondered if she might topple over. Her eyes were familiar, as were the blonde curls framing her glowing, rosy cheeks.

  “Hello,” she said with a cute lisp, her cupid bow mouth forming into a bright smile.

  I stood transfixed. Was this Tiny’s daughter? Surely not? There was no way Neil would have forgotten to mention that to me. Was there?

  We’d kept in contact, albeit sporadic, for the last seven years while I’d been away protecting my country. I racked my brains, trying to remember if I could have missed something.

  “Are youse the giant? My Daddy reads a book with a giant in it.” Her nose wrinkled adorably as she shook her head, the bright curls bouncing around her chubby cheeks. She looked confused as she eyed the ground before looking back at me, skipping over to the open gate. “There’s no beans in the garden. I’s ate them like a good girl. Maybe the book got it wrong and giants can get to us without a bean st… st… tree,” she finished triumphantly, her sunny smile returning to reveal a gap between her two front teeth.

  She watched me without fear as I stepped a little closer before crouching. “I might look like a giant to a little bean sprout like you, but I’m just a man. I’m Will.”

  When she offered her tiny hand for me to shake, a smile spread across my face. I took hold of it carefully, giving it a little shake.

  “I’m not supposed to give my name to strangers. But you’re not a stranger anymore ‘cause ya told me ya name. I’s Willow, I’s four and my Daddy says I’s a terrororay.” Her grin turned mischievous as she moved a little closer towards me through the open gate. “I’s not sure what dat means, but he smiles when he says it.”

  “I think you mean terror, and I can see why your Daddy might say that.” I flicked a finger down her dirt-smeared nose as I took in the cute yellow dress covered in grass and mud stains.

  “Willow, where on earth are you? I told you to stay inside. It’s too hot to be out here in the middle of the day,” said an exasperated sounding male voice.

  I glanced up from my crouched position, my throat drying up. Tiny? Holy smokes!

  Although he was still tiny, the pubescent, spotty teenager with milk bottle glasses and blond curls was gone. In his place was a harried looking man with trendy horn-rimmed glasses and tightly cropped hair which kinked at the ends to hint at past curls. I felt a stab of disappointment at the fact that he’d chopped the curls off, but I quickly quashed it.

  He’s your best friend’s brother and he’s clearly straight!

  He walked over to us, the sun glinting off the blond hair on his arms and legs. They were toned and tanned, no longer the skinny, lilywhite limbs of the boy I remembered who’d hidden from the sun.

  His mouth hung open as he stopped next to his daughter, his eyes widening behind the lenses. “No way. Will! Jeez, I haven’t seen you in years.” He sounded winded as he finished, his cheeks a bright shade of red.

  I tilted my head to watch him closely as I stood. My knees cracked and Willow giggled.

  “Is there somefin wrong with ya knees?” Her little blonde brows drew together, her lips pursing.

  “No, bean sprout, it’s just my knees are talkin’ too loudly is all.” I touched her curls gently, the silky softness reminding me of her father’s hair. The urge to bend and sniff to see if it smelt like lemons as her father’s hair used to was hard to resist. My fingers brushed her curls once more before I reluctantly removed my hand and looked back at Tiny.

  Greg

  Keep it together. Come on, don’t make a fool of yourself.

  No matter how many times I repeated it in my head, I couldn’t seem to grasp the concept though. Not when him calling my daughter “bean sprout” had made my insides go all gooey.

  Willow, oblivious to the tension riding through me, had carried on chatting. “Does they do dat all the times? My Daddy can makes it better.” Her earnest smile melted my heart as she turned to me, looking so much like I had at her age from the photos I’d seen. “Daddy, can ya take care of him? Ya always makes my hurts better.”

  “Honey, Will doesn’t need me to take care of him.” I offered Will an a
pologetic smile.

  “I’d love your Daddy to take care of my hurts.”

  The wolfish smile melted my insides. Convinced I must look like a fish caught on a hook, I struggled not to squirm beneath the sea-green gaze warming my overheated skin. He’s messing with me, that’s all. Don’t go getting your hopes up.

  Neil said he’s gay!

  So?

  Willow took hold of my hand and tugged on it. “Daddy, I thinks ya need to go inside. Your face is all red.”

  I glanced down at my daughter, willing the ground to open up and swallow me. “I’m fine, honey. But you’re right, we do need to go in. I have your lunch on the table.”

  Steeling myself, I shifted my gaze to Will, to be met with the same humorous glint in his eyes which I remembered from childhood. I stood a little taller and nodded. “It was great to see ya, but I need to feed this little one and I’m sure you’ll want to go check on the house and get out of those clothes.” My eyes travelled down the fatigues he wore, fatigues which seemed to strain against the bulging muscles encased within the khaki material.

  Will coughed. “Yes, I’d like to get out of my clothes… get changed and settled.”

  There was something in the way he said it that insinuated he wouldn’t be averse to me helping him out of his clothes.

  Was he hitting on me? Was the man of my dreams coming on to me?

  In your dreams maybe.

  Heck, when was the last time any man hit on you?

  “Yes… well… okay, come on, Willow.” I took hold of my daughter’s hand and tugged her gently towards the house.

  “Byes Will,” she lisped, giving him a wave.

  “See you later, bean sprout.” His gaze moved from Willow to me, his expression unfathomable. “Once I’m settled, I’ll come over and you can catch me up on all I’ve missed.” His eyes shifted back to Willow before returning to me again, the meaning clear. We’d be talking about my munchkin and why I’d asked Neil not to say anything about her.